Fuel-feeding device for automobiles.



W, H. MUZZY.

HIM FEEDJNG DER/FCE FDH AUTUNIEHLES. APPLacATmN FLEu APR.1.1915. RENEWEUMM. 1,191?.

1,222,235i Patented, Apr. 10, 1917,

`UNITED STATES wILLrAminQMUzzY, or narnor'r, uicnxcan;

FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBIL ES.

specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 10,1917.

Application led April 1, 1915, Serial No. 18,533. Renewed March 1, 1517. Serial No. 151,8-81. i,

. Taall whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MUzzY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feeding Devices for Automobiles, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles and has more particular relation to improvements in mechanisms, systems` and devices for the feeding of liquid gasolene to the carbureters of gas engines. One of the objects of the -invention is the improvement` of the mechanisms and devices atpresentemployed in the so called vacuum systems for rfeeding gasolene from a relatively low main supply tank to the carbureter of `the engine and also the improvement of the devices shown in my copending application Number 15895 of 1915 filed March 20, 1915, on vacuum fuel feeding systems.

Another object of the invention -is the improvement of the devices' shown in my afore- Said pending application by the introduction 4into the air and gasolene circulating pipes of an automatic dam for obstructing `the flow i-n one direction.

Another object of the invention is theV peculiar construction of the three tanks whereby they may be assembled into a rigid unit but in such manner that they may be instantly taken apart or sepa-rated at will without the breaking of soldered or other permanent connections. f

, A further object is the provision of` an overflow' pipe by which gasolene is dischargedjinto` the lower tank from the intermediate tank Without-the .use of a Siphon as in myfirst` mentioned application.

Another object of the invention is the provision'of means for causing the tank to fill by the operation of the engine even. vthough the tank is entirely empty when thel operation is started.

In carrying these and other objects of the invention into effect I utilize certain constructions, combinations-and arrangements of parts all of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth but it will -be readily understood that many of these may.

supply tank at the rear Vofk the machine 'by' a pipe 5, to the ca'rbureter ofthe engine by a pipe 6` and tothe intake manifold of the engine bya pipe These-connections are substantially' in tie same -manner as-,described in my said co-pending ap lication with the exception that the pipe rom the from the top of 'thc tank. v y f In general terms these connections may be described as drawingv the gasolene, by suction, from the mai-n tank at the rear into the vacuum tank J'f my improveddevice, then allowing the ,fasolene to pass by gravity first into an inte r-mediate ytank andiinally into a carbureter supply tank;` l In the said drawi n 1 represents theo'uter tank or containing sall, 2 the vacuum tank prop er, 3t e intermediate tank,.4,the suc tion pipe, 5 he main supply pipe, the pipe main supply tankenters the vacuumtank from the t nk tothe carbureter, 7 the at' i mospheric 'a1ve, 8 .the stand, pipe ermee?,

flo'w, 9 the vacuum tank dischargepipeajnd 10 the va um tank vent orv air py The ou r or con taining tank 1\-' eferably cylA ndrical in for-In butit wlllbe readily understood that it may be `rectanguvided withattachilng, 11@4 y vvhicllkit may be. supported i"n proximity' "to tle""engine and at. a .suitable eleva-tion avlioyethecarbureter.- u,

The vacuum tank 2 is closed air ti ht 1 a cover 12 whichis position -1004 lar in shape if desired. This tank is `pro'l 'ibolts 13 which pass therethrough and. also through a flange 14 on the tank 2 and. :i flange 15 on the tunk l thus securing all the parts together und seuling both the tunk 2 und the tank l with un nir tight joint.

The tank 2 rests also upon the partly closed top of the t-.ink 3 which is first placed inthe tank l., resting upon the bottom of' the tank 1 by menus of supporting legs with which it is provided. These legs 1G are formed at their lower ends with ,feet 17 which rest upon the bottom of the tank 1., The vacuum tank 2 is provided with two@l vertical pipes 9 and 10 milde tust thereto und euch of which is provided with v:i vertically operating dem or governor 18. -Each of these dams'eoi'isists of a light rod having n disk 19 et each end. The length of the rod in each instance suoh that only one of the disks Connected to it can be in eontuct with one end of its respective `pipe et the sume time, the opposite disk et this time beingr slightly seperated from the opposite end of the pipe us shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. 'The o liee of these danos or gm ernors is to dam or regulate the flow of liquid through the pipes 9 epd 10. They rmit of e. very small ambuntof liquid eing drawn up into the vacuum chamber at a time but at the saine time permit the liquid inthe vacuum chamber to pass rapidly to the other chambers through the same pipes. Each of the pipes 9 and 10 is formed at its upper edge with slots 20 while the pipe 9 is formed at its lower end with a slot 21.

The tank 3 is provided with the stand pipe 8 fast therein so that when the tank lls it l oy Flow into the tank 1. The stand p is'forrned with u small aperture 22 located a Suitable distance below its upper end so' that the discharge through the stand pipewill continue eren after the liquid in the tank. 3 has descended below the upper end of the stand pipe. The purpi'ise ol this construction is to Continue to empty liquid into the tank 1 even after the lower end ot' the pipe 10 has been covered and the feed down the pipe 9 thus stopped as will be hereinafter described.l This is possible :is the feed down the pipe 1) is inurl: faster than the aperture 22 alone can take care of and the liquid thus rises in the chamber 3 untilv it finally overflows the top of the pipe v8.

The tank `3 is also provided with a sleeve 23 fast thereto and extending down into the tank 1, the pipe 10 being' located inside of v this sleeve to prevent any splash from the main tank 1 from closing the lower end of the ipe before the main body of the liquid rac es ".te This sleeve 23 also enables the tanks t oe assembled by allowing the pipe 10 to pass through. the tank 3 withoutiuny soldering or yjoints that may leak. The tank E5 is also `formed neer its upper end with air ports 24 so th-.it' it muy receive atmospheric pressure uir from the tunk l :it these points. 'l`he sleeve 23 is also fl'iri'ned near its upper i d with un :iir port 25 for lneventing :my

ripping oi nir in the upper end of the isleeve after the liquid shirts to rise in the sleeve.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. l that the tank l is seuled except for an nir vent pipe 2() louuted near its upper end. and provided with :i valve 7 operated by a rod 27 which extends to within' easy reach of the operator of the uiuehne. The oliee of this valve 7 is to eon'ipel the tanks to be filled signin if for :my reason they become empty at any time, suoli for instunoe as running out of gusolene or when the machine is first but into oprrution. The elosin of the valve 7 will cause the snot-ion created by the pipe 4i to lill the to. l rnd i5 to iheii oilufrutive levels when t o is ugelli opened und the '.intoniutie i .-ition renif' In (he niodined ioriu oi my invention Shown in Fig. 2 l provide :i vork llout 25 in the caribou-'ter supply bink, und mounted on a rod 'he reinks 2 und il in this von struction ure runde narrower to permit this rod 'to puss up'beside them. The rod is provided zit itsl upper end willi a bull vulve 30 .find is guided et its nl 'iper end by passing through :1. vul-ve sent 31 secured in the top of the tank. yThe i'ulrc is urrnnged to seat on. this vulve sont ,when the (lout 29. descends beeuuse of the gusolone passing out of the tnuk l :is it does when the niuin supply tunk ut the roux' lil-comes exhausted. When. the i'ulrf.l il!) i-loses in lhisl wily the sume operution tulips pluei :is when the vulve '7 hund. l'ho vulve 2li) is proi is closed hiv toets-d by u sci-row :np lli. huring :ipertiues 32' to perni?? uil' to pass l'rwljy lo tin.l vulve soulwlnn tinl ruiw is ordinuniliv open :is shown in Fil. f 'l'ho him-i' Ind ol ilux rod 39 is A:guldml lli' u blu' l hist lo tho bottoni of (ln` tunk l.

Drain plugs 3l?) und :in :irll mounted in the bottoni ol' the lzink l und in (he top of the tunk l so that thrlunhs nin)j be 'louned o'l" diri` or svdinnnl. without linkin;| them upurf.. 'lhe operul'ion ol' tlndori( s shownin Fig'. l. is :is 'iolhiws2 The suction in the tzink 2. rrrnled by the pipe 4.- euuses both dams 1S to risi` into the positions shown -und thus bhw-.hs ille lou-'er end of the pipes balance the vacuum and gasolene is thus drawn from the main supply tank through the pipe 5 into the tank i?, as shown in Fig.

" ment of the dams 18 is cause 1 and the tank thus replenished. The operation continues until the gasolene in the chamber 3 is so far removed that the port or slot 21 is uncovered when air will ass up the pipe El-through the gasolene in ubblcs and destroy the vacuum in the tank 2 and Ystop the pumping through the pipe 5. The

` tank will then remain inoperative until thel level of the gasolene in the tank 1 descends below the lower end of the ipe' 10 when air will start to pass up said pipe, the dams 18 having dropped to their lower positions when air started to pass up the pipe 9. `Vhen air passes up either the pipes 9 or 10 it escapes at the upper end through the slots 20. When the air starts to pass up the pipe l() it stopsvpassing up through the gasoleiie in the pipe 9 and the gasolene in the tank 2 begins to pass down through the ipe 9 and out at its lower open end, the gaso ene passingunder the upper disk 19 and through the slots 20. The. gasolene continues to pass down the pipe 9 into the chamber 3v until the stand pipe 8 overfiows and raises the level of the gasolene in the tank l so that it again closes the lower end of the pipe 10. Just as soon as the lower end of t e pipe 10 is closed both ot the' dams 18 jump u pward into the positions shown in Fig. 1 and close the lower ends of the pipes and the operationis repeated'. lThe uiward move by the suc tion and the upward movement of the' gasolene in the pipes.y this gasolene striking the upper disks 19 with considerable force and raising the dams into lposition Where they are held, by the suction. When the -daiiis are r lleased they are of sufficient weight to re urn promptly to their lower positions.

At each pumping operationmore' gasolene is pumped into the tank 2 than is taken out of the tank 1 for use andthe level in the tank 2 is thus raised until finally it passes above Vthe upper end of the pipe 10. When this takes place the gasolene `passes down the pipe 10 into the tank l as the air passes up the pipe 9 and the sui-plus gasolene is thus used to block the lower end of the pipe `l0 and prevent,any further pumping until allthis gasolene is used, when the operation is repeated. By this means` the tank can `never overpump itself.

It will be observed that the dams 18 are practically trouble proof as ilieydo not have to be closely seated on the ends ofthe pipes and can bc roughly made and operate perectly. There is no chance of them sticking by the presence of dirt or other foreign matter as the rods are so much smaller' than the pipes througl: which they pass.l If any dirt should by any means lodge under the upper disks 19 n) harm would be done as these disks simpl act to limit the downward movement olythe dams and receive the impact of the gssolene to move the dams upward. The chances -for dirt lodging under the bottom of the pi e 10 is very remote and even if dirt did lo ge at this point the tank would still -operate i perfectly. Its periods of operati on would simply be closer together. As the dams move laterally and are constantly changing their points of contact with the pipes 9 and 10 any articles of dirt are scraped off and washe by the streams of gasoline into the lower tank. There are no fine working points whatever hat might be affected by the presence of irt.

The pipe 6 coiinects the bottom of the tank 1 with the-carbureter of the engine and the tank 1 must therefore be located slightly above the level of ythe carburetor.

Both the hand valve and the automatic atmospheric valve do not come into use at all in the ordinary opera-tion of the .tank but are used only yin emergencies, such for instanceas when .the supply in the main gasolene tank is allowed to run out'. When a leaky carburetei drains all 4of the gusolene out of'the tank 1 overnight the i'alvescoine into play. When the tank is being first filled after the niacliinephas been sold .the valves come intoplay. ltwill -be understood that if the supply of gasolenc in the supply chamber should be depleted faster than it is renewed, tho' valve. 3() will automatically come into operation, close the'air inlet into the suppiy chamber and cause the tank to pump co'itinuously until the level in the supply chamber has risen to cover the lower end of the pipe 10, when the regular action will be resumed. During this operation the gasolene pumped into the vacuum chamber will pass down freely through the pipe 9 as the air pipe 10 being open will cause the supply (hamher to have a "vacuum equal to that of tle Vacuum chamber pro ier and the gasolene will descend hy gravity.` When the gasolene passes down through the pipe 9 it fills the chamber I and finally runs over the top of the stand pipe into the chamber 1. pipe 10 is closed by the gasoleno inythisl manner, the gasoil-ntin the supply chamber will continue to rise being fed through Vthe opening 22 and lh .e continued upward "moves i mentv of the float E38 willopen the valve 3() and cause the normal 'pumping action-of the machine to he resumed; lt will he further understood that the float 28 and the valve tu) might very well operate during every n 1 l operation of the tank under certain condii'ter the lower end of the.

tions, suoli for instance as climbing a very steep grade when the. suction on the tank is at its minimum and the litt or elevation from the main rear tank is at its maximum, I therefore do not wish to he limited in my invention to the operation ot the valve 30 at any particullai,I time as it is am'iarent that its operation might take place at any time. during the regular operation ol the tank when the other devices fail to perform their functions in a manner that will keep the level of the gasolene in the chamber 1 at the proper level. These are al'l emergency cases however and the ordinary operation of the tank 'is altogether automatic and needs no attention' whatever.

It will of course be understood that either one or the other of the dams may be omitted and the size ,of the 'pipe correspoiuliugly reduced, but the presence ol' the dams allows a large size pipe to be employed and causes a more rapid operation and a much stronger feed of the gasolene from the main tank.

Having thusy described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patentis:

1. In a fue] feeding system the combination with an elevated vacuum tank. ot a supply tank, a suction pipe for creating a vacu um in the. vacuum tank, a gasolene supp'ly pipe for the vacuum tank` an air ventor the vacuum tankvarranged to be covered and uncovered by the fuel in the supply tank, a movable dam in the air vent for'obstructing passage in one direction only, and

means connecting the Vacuum tank 'andthe supply tank.

2. In a f"e..l feeding system the eombix'iation with an elevated vacuum tank, of a supply tank, a suction pipe for creating a varuum in the vacuum tank, a gasolene supply pipe for the varuuin tank. vertical air vent pipe for the vacuum tank arranged to be covered and uncovered b v the fuel in the supply tank, a dani in the vent pipe. comprising a rod with disks on its opposite ends to conta-ct with the. ends of the pipe, and means connecting the vacuum tank and supply tank.

3. In a fuel feeding system the. combination with an elevated vacuum tank, of a suction pipe. for the same, a gasolene supply pipe for said tank, an air vent for the vacuum tank opened and closed by the liquid in the supply tank. an intermediate tank, a pipe. connecting the vacuum tank and intermediate tank, n movable dam in said pipeI and means connectii'ig the intermediate tank and the supply tank.

4t. In a fuel. feeding s vstem the combination with an el yvated vacuum tank, of a suction pipe for the saine. a gasolene supply pipe for said tank, an independent supply tank, an air vent for the vacuum tank opened and closed'by the liquid in the Supp y tank, and an independent intermediate tank, the vacuum tank resting on the intermediate Lank and both of said tanks inclosed in the, supply tank.

5. ln a fuel feeding system the combina tion with an elevated vacuum tank, of a suction pipe for the same, a gasolene supply pipe for saidf tank. a supply tank, an air vent for the var :uiuii tank opened and closed by the liquid in the supply tank, an intermediate tank, a pipe. from the vacuum tank to the internnaliate tank. a movable dam in this pipe, means connecting the intermediate tank and the supply tank, and a movable dam in the air ventf (i. ln a fuel feeding system thc conibination with an elevated vacuum tank, of s, suction' pipe for the same. a gasolene supplv pipe l'or the tank, a supply tank, means ronneeting the vacuum and supply' tanks, an air vent for the vacuum :tank opened and closed hv the liquid in the supply tank, and means for sil-aline the supply tank to prevent air reaching the vacuum tank. i

7. 'In a fue] feeding s vstein the cornbimi` tion with an elevated tank having a closed vacuum chamber anda normallj.' open supply chamber, a suction pipe for creating a vacuum in the var-num chamber, connections allowing air and gasolene topp-.iss between the chambers, a gasolene supply pipe connected to the vacuum chamber, and nieans for cutting oil' the air to, the supply cham-l ber because ot' thencjhanging level of the liquid in said chamber.

ln a fuel feeding system the combina.- tion with an elevated` tank having a vacuum chamber and a supply chamber, means for creating a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, a gasolene supply pipe connected to the vacuum chamber. aud gasolene and air conneetions between the vacuum and supply chambers ine-hiding a movable dam or valve for controllingr `said connections.

9. In a fuel feeding s vstem the combina,- tion with an elevated tank having a vacuum chamber and a connected supply chamber, the latter'h-.iving atmospheric communication. means for admitting air to the vacuum chamber controlled by thelevel of the-li uid in the supply chalutier, and a valve or am control ling communicationbetween the vacuum chamber and the supply chamber.

10. In a fuel feeding system the combination with an elevated tank having a vacuum chamber and a normally open, connected supply chamber, means for enusmgim 1nterminent pumping. and letting down gf gasolen.. into the supply chamber, and '(10- vices for converting the normally open supply chamber intoa vacuum chamber when the level of the liquid in said supply halber falls too low.

11. In a fuel` feeding system the oombna'.- the air vent to caue t 'ne tank to pump ol.'` 10 tion with an@ `evstted vacuum tank, of a sup- "remain idle. ply tank, s etiompi :foi creating a vacu- In testimony whereof I aix my signe- `um in the vacuum t e `eolene pipe eonture in the presence of two witnesses. 5 nected to the `vacuum tungen air vent for v the vacuumftenk @munged to be covered Vand WILLIAM H MUZZY uncovered by thejiuel in the supply tank, Witnesses: Y lud movable mechanical means for eontrol- M. H. MUzzr, ling the passage of nir and gasolene through A Hmm D. Mm Ls. 

